One of the first things I set out to do when I joined Engadget in the summer of 2018 was build a nice home office. In my previous job, I didn’t have many opportunities to work remotely, so it wasn’t a priority. This turned out to be a mistake, because when I started working from home I found that I was wearing out quickly. My kitchen just didn’t cut it as an office, so I set out to change things.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
Piece by piece, the office I built in my bedroom came together in a space where I liked to sit and write. But it wasn’t until this year that it seemed complete. The missing piece was the BenQ Screenbar, a lighting fixture that you install on your monitor.
I postponed the purchase of Screenbar for a few years, mostly for the price of $ 170 CAD ($ 109 USD). So why didn’t I buy a regular table lamp? Well, the screenbar caught my eye for a few reasons. I live in a small apartment in Toronto, so a lamp that could sit on my monitor, instead of my desk, was attractive because space is limited, especially on my small desk. Also, the display bar shares a feature that I love on Philips Hue lights. Outside the box, you can adjust the color temperature of your LEDs, without having to buy light bulbs separately. BenQ also claims that the display bar produces less glare than a traditional table lamp due to the way you place it on top of the monitor.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
Setup is also easy. A USB-C to USB-A cable connects the display bar to your computer, giving it all the power you need. You do not need to install any software on your PC to use the device. Four capacitive buttons at the top allow you to turn the display bar on and off, adjust the color temperature and brightness, or turn on automatic brightness. BenQ sells a more expensive version of the display bar that includes a disc that you can place on your desktop for more convenient access to the controls, but that’s not necessary for most people.
The only downside to the screenbar is that it takes up space that you could use to mount a webcam. With a 27-inch flat panel monitor like my Dell, it’s possible to fit both, but neither could stay in the center.
Depending on your needs, this could completely deter you from considering the BenQ display bar. For me, it was an easy decision to make. I don’t need to make many Zoom calls. The position of my desk is also not ideal for video calling. As I sit down to write, my back looks out of a wall-to-wall window. It’s not an easy scene to expose for a webcam. My solution has been to use my MacBook Air and sit by the window when I need to jump to Zoom.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
Looking back now, I wish I had bought the screenbar before. To say that it has transformed the atmosphere of my bedroom and office would be an understatement. Winter in Toronto is a long, dark affair. In January and February, the sun can set as early as 5 p.m. My mood, like that of many people, can vary greatly depending on the amount and quality of light that seeps into my home. The fact that you can adjust the color temperature of the LEDs on the display bar between 2700K and 6500K means that it can produce warm, bright, sunlight-like whites, making it ideal for all-day use. even for color-sensitive jobs like photo editing. In my experience, it is the perfect solution for a small space.
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